Haven Ever After

When my sister thrifts an aged map with iridescent lettering leading to a town called Ever, I roll my eyes. According to a quick internet search, the town doesn't exist. We only manage to find it with the help of a sexy gas station owner who offers to come for me if I call him. Swoon. I quickly learn that Shepherd isn't actually human; nobody in town is. News flash—he's a gargoyle—a dominant, possessive, crème brûlée-loving monster. That should terrify me, but something about him keeps me coming back.

I'm a green witch! When I struggle to use my newly discovered magic, Ohken offers to teach me, although his methods aren't exactly conventional. He's a big fan of teasing me and making me crazy enough to get out of my own head. As our lessons grow more heated, I realize I'm falling for not only this wacky little town but also the quiet male who's my biggest cheerleader.

A good protector is focused on one thing—duty. That's been my guiding mantra since I came to the hidden monster haven of Ever. My roles as protector and father come first. But I've got a secret—I'm desperately obsessed with the beautiful, kind, mischievous pixie who lives across the street. Miriam Saihem invaded my mind first, building a rock-solid friendship I've come to rely on. But my heart demands something more, someone to make it beat again. I don't want to have to choose between her or my child, responsibility or love. I'm selfish—I want them both.

Morgan Hector is mine, but for her safety, I can never claim the pretty witch. I can never sate myself on her blood or bring her to bliss with my teeth. We'll never be anything more than friends. When I discover she's homeless and living in my office, I do what I shouldn't—I bring her home. Being in close proximity with the mate I hold at arm's length is the most devastating torture. She's smart and kind with the mouth of a sailor. Plus, she smells good enough to eat, and I'd give my right fang to devour her. The longer we spend under the same roof, the more my control begins to fray.

Music is my life. At least, it would be if my father's politics didn't dictate every minute of my day. When I sneak out to live my dream for the night, consequences follow. Papá's second, Eliel, challenges him for the throne, putting me at risk of being forcibly claimed by the devious, disgusting male.

It's never been the right time for my mates and me. They had their dream of running a coffee shop in Ever, and I had mine climbing the career ladder at monster headquarters. Ambition has kept us apart for centuries. When a work assignment brings me to their haven, proximity reinforces how much we long to complete our bond and remain together permanently. I come up with a radical idea to pitch to monster headquarters, an idea that'll solve not only my long-distance relationship problem, but the same problem for thousands of other monsters.

I came to the hidden monster town of Ever for one reason—my nieces. I definitely didn't expect Connall, the quiet, authoritative shifter male, whose intense stare follows me everywhere I go. And I sure didn't move for the hilarious, snarky elemental who floats outside my bedroom window at night. Is cozy stalking a thing? Because that's what Dirk does. But it turns out my nieces are thriving, those badass bitches.

I lose myself in my artwork, and for a few hours each day, I can forget about how trapped I feel in the merkingdom as the unwanted and inconvenient niece of an angry, bitter king. If I could find a way to support myself, I could leave the lake—and Uncle Caralorn—and start fresh somewhere else. The fates must have a sense of humor, because Ever's newest resident, an ancient vampire, offers to hire me to redo the town's welcome packet. Betmal is over-the-top charming one minute and possessively dominant the next, and it's far too easy to get lost in those flashing crimson eyes.